Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-28023

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will urgently allocate the reported £450 million of European structural and investment funding, due to be returned to the European Commission by the end of the current financial year, to so-called shovel-ready bids within currently suspended capital programmes, including the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme.

The media reports suggesting that £450 million of European Structural and Investment Funds will be returned to the European Commission by the Scottish Government are wrong. As I stated in Parliament on Thursday 13 June, all projects supported by this funding must have concluded by December 2023 to be eligible. The criteria for projects supported by European Structural and Investments Funds is set by the European Commission - it cannot be used to replace core government funding. For further information, I include a link to the related Scottish Government webpages which provide more detail on how these funds have been administered in Scotland: https://www.gov.scot/policies/european-structural-funds/

Question reference: S6W-28078

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much compensation was paid by CalMac to passengers across all ferry routes in the latest reporting period.

Question reference: S6W-28112

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds regarding the value of each local authority's reserves in real terms in 2023-24, and how this compares with the equivalent value in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2013-14.

The following table shows the cash and real terms value of Local Authority General Fund reserves at 31 March 2014 (final audited) and 31 March 2024 (budget estimate). Please note that the information requested on reserves is not held prior to 2007.

Adjustments for inflation have been made using the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflators for March 2024 (available at: GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) ).

Figures for 31 March 2024 will be superseded on 25 June 2024 by data published in Local Government 2023-24 Provisional Outturn and 2024-25 Budget Estimates.

Further information on Local Government Finance Statistics can be found at: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

General Fund Reserves (in £ millions) as at 31 March
Sources: LFR 23 for 31 March 2014 (audited data), POBE 2023 for 31 March 2024 which is a budget estimate provided in early 2023.

	Cash Terms		Real Terms (2023-24 Prices)
Local Authority	31-Mar-14	31-Mar-24	31-Mar-14	31-Mar-24
	Final Audited	Budget Estimate	Final Audited	Budget Estimate
Aberdeen City	57.1	70.1	75.2	70.1
Aberdeenshire	57.5	73.8	75.7	73.8
Angus	19.8	45.7	26.1	45.7
Argyll & Bute	44.0	88.2	58.0	88.2
City of Edinburgh	123.3	198.7	162.3	198.7
Clackmannanshire	12.0	14.2	15.8	14.2
Dumfries & Galloway	58.4	70.2	76.9	70.2
Dundee City	8.1	44.2	10.6	44.2
East Ayrshire	28.0	38.6	36.9	38.6
East Dunbartonshire	11.3	28.0	14.9	28.0
East Lothian	9.2	16.6	12.1	16.6
East Renfrewshire	14.9	23.5	19.6	23.5
Falkirk	25.8	33.2	33.9	33.2
Fife	85.0	181.9	111.9	181.9
Glasgow City	32.8	137.6	43.2	137.6
Highland	40.3	72.7	53.1	72.7
Inverclyde	42.9	6.4	56.5	6.4
Midlothian	20.5	7.8	27.0	7.8
Moray	21.4	19.6	28.1	19.6
Na h-Eileanan Siar	18.3	14.2	24.1	14.2
North Ayrshire	25.2	109.0	33.1	109.0
North Lanarkshire	75.0	256.6	98.8	256.6
Orkney Islands	23.8	34.3	31.3	34.3
Perth & Kinross	48.2	39.8	63.5	39.8
Renfrewshire	52.9	73.3	69.7	73.3
Scottish Borders	17.1	34.2	22.6	34.2
Shetland Islands	13.9	25.8	18.2	25.8
South Ayrshire	22.9	11.1	30.2	11.1
South Lanarkshire	13.4	108.0	17.6	108.0
Stirling	13.3	66.0	17.5	66.0
West Dunbartonshire	10.1	4.6	13.3	4.6
West Lothian	22.6	9.7	29.7	9.7
Ayrshire VJB	0.2	0.4	0.3	0.4
Central VJB	0.8	0.5	1.0	0.5
Dunbartonshire & Argyll & Bute VJB	0.5	0.4	0.6	0.4
Grampian VJB	0.2	0.5	0.3	0.5
Highland & Western Isles VJB	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.1
Lanarkshire VJB	-	1.3	-	1.3
Lothian VJB	-	0.5	-	0.5
Orkney & Shetland VJB	-	0.0	-	0.0
Renfrewshire VJB	0.5	1.0	0.6	1.0
Tayside VJB	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Tay Road Bridge	1.2	1.2	1.5	1.2
HITRANS	0.2	0.0	0.3	0.0
NESTRANS	0.0	2.7	0.0	2.7
SESTRAN	-	0.0	-	0.0
SPT	12.5	83.2	16.5	83.2
SWESTRANS	-	0.0	-	0.0
TACTRAN	-	0.0	-	0.0
ZetTrans	-	0.0	-	0.0
Scotland	1,085.4	2,049.6	1,428.8	2,049.6

VJB = Valuation Joint Board
GDP Deflator	75.97	100.00

Question reference: S6O-03647

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to ensure access to primary care in areas that have a high projected population growth.

Question reference: S6O-03650

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its consideration of the impact of the change in subsidised air service provider between Uist and Stornoway on access to services, including health services, for people with reduced mobility.

Question reference: S6O-03646

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Scottish National Investment bank is operating legally, in light of reports that the advisory group that was meant to be established by the Scottish Ministers has not yet been established.

Question reference: S6O-03651

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a further update on plans for the redevelopment of Ardrossan Harbour.

Question reference: S6O-03652

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the provision of midwives by the NHS meets demand.

Question reference: S6O-03648

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle any inappropriate care and overcrowding in NHS emergency departments.

Question reference: S6O-03649

Current Status: Withdrawn